Gulberg riots: Fresh pleas filed in Zakia case

Ahmedabad: With no official word yet on the
report of SIT that probed allegations of involvement of Chief
Minister Narendra Modi in 2002 post-Godhra riots, two separate
applications were filed today before a magisterial court
seeking copies of the final report submitted yesterday.

The court of Metropolitan Magistrate MS Bhatt issued
notices to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and posted the
hearing to February 13 following the applications moved by
social activists Teesta Setalvad and Mukul Sinha.

The Supreme Court-appointed SIT yesterday filed the final
report in a sealed cover on the complaint by Zakia Jafri, wife
of ex-Congress MP Eshan Jafri who was was among the 69 persons
killed in the Gulberg Housing society riots. Around 1,200
people were killed in the communal riots.

Jafri in her complaint had sought prosecution of Modi,
along with 57 others, for aiding and abetting communal riots.

There was no official confirmation whether or not the
cases against Modi have been closed in the report or he has
been given a clean chit. The Magistrate will now have to
examine the report.

"We would like to see the report because at the moment we
are concerned whether the order of Supreme Court has been
complied with and whether or not all documents have been
placed before the magistrate`s court," said Teesta, voicing
apprehensions on SIT action.

Reactions to the SIT report were being made based on
media reports which suggested that Modi may have got relief.

"We had submitted all the facts to SIT, and then they
have submitted such a report, it is very disappointing,"
Zakia told reporters.

Sinha said, "at the moment we are demanding the copy of
the report because without knowing the contents we are not
able to move forward."

On September 12 last year, the Supreme Court had refused
to pass any order on Modi`s alleged inaction in containing
riots in 2002 and left it to the concerned magistrate`s court
to decide the course of action against him on the basis of the
SIT report.

Jafri had told the apex court that a proper probe should
be carried out by the SIT, headed by former CBI chief RK Raghavan, into her allegations of inaction and various acts
of omission and commission by Modi and others during the
riots.